


Keys to the Castle

by thebluesthour



Series: Yeonbin Oneshots For the Soul [58]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Gangs, M/M, Model Choi Yeonjun, Possessive Behavior, Power Dynamics, Protective Choi Soobin, Violence, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27772117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluesthour/pseuds/thebluesthour
Summary: The most important thing about being at the top of the Korean mafia hierarchy? Having something worth fighting for. For Soobin, that was Yeonjun.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Series: Yeonbin Oneshots For the Soul [58]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870156
Comments: 17
Kudos: 222





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for this request! I've been wanting to try my hand at a mafia fic, but I'm not sure if I'm any good, lol. Let me know what you think! 
> 
> And yes, two uploads in one night, don't get used to it! I just wasn't satisfied with the previous fic, so I wanted to make it up! Keep an eye out for a [ Crossroads](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27430057) update as well!
> 
> Leave prompts [ here!](https://curiouscat.me/mapsoftheseouls)
> 
> Not edited.

Soobin sat in his chair, staring at the men who sat across from him. He held a glass of whiskey in one hand and a gun in the other. The gun was casually trained at the man sitting directly in front of him. The man, for all he was, didn’t seem particularly scared or even concerned that he could possibly be seconds away from death. Then again, the types of men that Soobin worked with very rarely feared death. When it was such a casual occurrence, one began desensitised.

That didn’t mean Soobin wasn’t careful. He was the epitome of caution. He had been trained well, and now that he had the keys to the castle, it was his responsibility to keep those loyal to him safe. It was no easy task, especially for a twenty-three year old, but Soobin was nothing if not good at adapting to even the most stressful situations. He took a sip of his whiskey, the smoothness burning his throat. “I need you to move your shipments, San, before I have to reschedule my weekend plans,” he repeated, removing the safety of his gun with a little click.

The man, San, was one of his rivals, and his shipments on the Pacific edge of South Korea were blocking Soobin’s own shipments from getting to port in time. And his clients were not fans of tardiness. Neither was Soobin. San smacked his lips, sitting up and cracking his neck. “I have important business in Busan, Soobin-ssi, certainly you can understand,” he replied, voice sickeningly sweet. It made Soobin want to throw up.

He sat up too, setting his glass down and glanced at his two accomplices. They were his best friends, highly trained assassins that Soobin had known his entire life. They stepped forward, lifting their own guns and shooting San’s accomplices without warning. San’s eyes popped and he shot out of his seat, instantly furious. “How dare you—,” he started to say, but Soobin stood up then, pressing the gun to San’s forehead. “Move your shipments, or you’re the next to die,” he whispered, poisonous.

San gulped, before glaring at Soobin and pulling his phone out of his pocket with shaky hands. Soobin smiled, lowering the gun and picking up his whiskey again. He finished the glass, smiling at Taehyun and Beomgyu, who smiled back, nodding their heads once. San hissed instructions into his phone and stumbled back a few paces as Soobin turned to look at him again. “It’s done, the shipments are being moved as we speak,” he stammered. Soobin smiled, holstering his gun. “Excellent, I hope we never have to meet again,” he replied, picking up his phone and opening his text messages.

San blinked a few times, before Beomgyu gave him a look, and he darted out. Soobin didn’t even look up as he left, busy sending Yeonjun a few texts. The elder was getting ready for a social event the two had RSVP’d to, and Soobin would be loath to miss it. Mingling with the elite members of society was part of the job, it was their money Soobin relied on, after all. Plus, it gave his boyfriend an excuse to put on some makeup and look hot as sin in front of the—in Soobin’s opinion—unworthy public.

“You two going to be at the banquet?” he asked as Yeonjun confirmed he’d be ready when Soobin arrived in half an hour. Beomgyu and Taehyun nodded, holstering their guns. “Want me to call this in?” Taehyun asked, phone already in hand. Soobin glanced at the two dead rival gang members in front of them, and he shook his head. “Leave them, they’re a warning to anyone who thinks about holding up our international trade again,” he said.

Taehyun nodded, putting his phone away. All three of them left, getting into the car they arrived in, and Beomgyu drove them off. “Is Hueningkai invited to this banquet? His feelings were hurt when he didn’t get to go to the last one,” Taehyun asked, turning in the passenger seat to look back at Soobin. Soobin smiled, rolling his eyes. “He wasn’t invited because he was still a rookie, but yes, he is invited this time,” he replied.

Taehyun giggled as Beomgyu sighed in relief. “His pouting was so annoying I was one complaint away from just shooting him,” he said. Soobin laughed, shaking his head as he looked out the window at his beautiful city. Taehyun started talking about normal life things—school, the brunch he had scheduled with his mom tomorrow, all part of his impeccable cover. They all had their cover lives—some may call them ‘personal lives’, but Soobin found his work to be the most personal. Except for Yeonjun, of course. But he worked _because_ of Yeonjun. It wasn’t hard to understand.

All roads led to Yeonjun. Everything Soobin did was to protect him, to keep him taken care of, to keep him happy. Being the head of the biggest gang in the Korean mafia world was no easy task, but his father had given him all the skills needed, and now he had something worth fighting for. He was lucky that he had met Yeonjun during his training, a dance major who existed in Soobin’s fake life, but crossed over easily into the life of organised crime. It helped that his own family had ties to the Korean mafia, and Yeonjun wasn’t ignorant to the true structures of power in his home country. He didn’t shy away from the threat of death when Soobin revealed his status to him.

He was what everything came back to. Every decision, every kill, every trade, it was all done with the goal of keeping Yeonjun protected. And as a result, Soobin protected everyone else who was loyal to him, and only him.

As he stared out at the glittering lights of his beautiful city, he smiled softly. Hundreds of people may want him dead, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He was a benevolent secret leader, he only killed those that threatened him or someone he loved. He made it abundantly clear and proved himself enough times for his enemies to know not to mess with him. If they chose to, well, Soobin never felt bad about delivering up on a promise. If they deserved it, and if it were to save an innocent life, Soobin would do what he needed to do. Such was the life of a mafia boss.

They came to a stop at Soobin’s house, and Beomgyu got out first to check the perimeter. Taehyun stayed in the car, on alert, and Soobin just waited patiently. When it was clear, Beomgyu returned and Soobin got out of the car. He buttoned his jacket as he walked up to his door, pressing his finger to the scanner. It unlocked the door, and he filed inside, Beomgyu close behind. Taehyun circled the car around to the garage.

When the doors locked securely—a lengthy process, it wasn’t cheap or simple to keep the country’s most wanted person safe—Soobin handed off his gun to Beomgyu and raced up the stairs. He went to the master bedroom, and smiled as he pushed open the door to see Yeonjun finishing up his outfit.

“Hi baby,” he greeted, winking. Soobin blushed, smiling and leaning against the door as he took in the image of his boyfriend. He was dressed in a midnight blue suit that had a jewelled collar, and the shirt underneath was an almost see-through black sheet top that made Soobin’s mouth water a little. Yeonjun’s hair—dyed black—was pushed off of his forehead, and dark blue eyeshadow dusted over his lids. He looked downright _sexy_ , and Soobin bit his lip. “Like what you see?” Yeonjun teased.

Soobin walked up to him, putting a finger under his chin and lifting his face. Yeonjun’s breath hitched as he looked up at Soobin, eyes sparkling. “Always like what I see, hyung,” he replied. He leaned down to kiss the elder, and Yeonjun kissed back enthusiastically. They kissed like they were running out of opportunities to, and when they parted, Yeonjun pouted. He moved his head back so he could finish tying his shoes and Soobin went into his own closet to switch out his jacket for a nicer one. He glanced at his reflection, and his hair was still neatly in place. That’s all he cared about. These events were all about Yeonjun, he wanted all eyes on his boyfriend, not on him.

He walked back out and checked the time on his phone. “Beomgyu and Taehyun should be ready,” he informed. Yeonjun nodded, standing up and going over to his vanity. He sprayed a few puffs of perfume on his neck, did a final check of his makeup, and then went over to Soobin. “I’m ready,” he said. Soobin smiled, holding out his arm for Yeonjun to take. The elder smiled, temporarily blinding Soobin with how beautiful he looked, and the couple left their bedroom.

Beomgyu and Taehyun were dressed in suits and bowties, looking rather cute as well. They bowed to Yeonjun and then guided the couple outside, doing their jobs as bodyguards very well.

Hueningkai met them at the venue, bouncing on his feet but looking adorable in his custom-tailored suit courtesy of the gang’s personal tailor. He bowed deeply as Soobin and Yeonjun got out of the car, walking up to him. “Hyuka, you clean up well!” Soobin complimented, touching his lapel. Kai giggled, waving it off and walking them to the side door. Soobin had learned long ago never to enter through the main entrance, it was far too risky. He had his people stationed at every way in and out of the building, but he could never be too careful. He gave Beomgyu a little nod before they went inside, and he trusted his dongsaeng to take care of everything else for the evening. He didn’t get paid a ridiculous amount of money for no reason.

Of course, he had someone worth fighting for too.

Yeonjun clung to Soobin’s arm as they walked into the spacious ballroom. The ceilings were high, and the chandeliers cast a warm glow over every guest present. Soobin wasn’t hosting this banquet, his ally was, but he had provided the security. He simply didn’t trust anyone else to be as thorough as him. Yeonjun started to guide them, pulling Soobin a different direction and Soobin went willingly. This was Yeonjun’s scene, he wasn’t about to interrupt.

The elder took them up to the bar, ignoring the inquiries of various people as they passed. He bowed his head politely, but didn’t engage with any of them. He stopped at the bar, leaning across the counter to get the bartender’s attention. “Two Cosmopolitan’s, please,” he ordered. Soobin smiled, catching the boy by his waist as he turned around. Yeonjun blushed, but smiled as he let Soobin hold him. “Straight to drinks, hmm?” he asked. Yeonjun shrugged, batting his lashes as he locked his arms around Soobin’s neck.

“Maybe I want to get you drunk and take advantage of you,” he murmured, face innocent. Soobin hummed, tightening his arms around Yeonjun’s waist. “You don’t have to get me drunk to take advantage of me, hyung,” he whispered back. Yeonjun chuckled as the bartender slid two glasses toward them. The elder didn’t turn away as he reached next to him and picked up both glasses. He lifted one to his lips, making a show of wrapping his lips around the straw and sucking.

Soobin’s eyes narrowed. He released Yeonjun and took his own drink, swirling the ice around with his straw. “Go mingle, sweetheart,” he instructed. Yeonjun swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing, before he pushed off of the counter and brushed past Soobin. He kissed his neck as he passed, smirking. Soobin took a drink as he turned to watch Yeonjun disappear into the crowd. He smiled to himself. He would never not be enamoured with the boy, no matter how much time had passed.

Soobin had important networking he could do, so he ventured out into the thick of things. Yeonjun could hold his own, he didn’t always require Soobin by his side. Plus, Hueningkai was on his detail for the night, and Soobin trusted him. So he did his job and spoke to various businessmen and women, allied mafia members, and a few of their plus-ones. It was a good time, Soobin enjoyed not having to worry about having to possibly shoot the person he was speaking to.

As the night went on and got later, Soobin finished his networking rounds and went to get a fresh drink from the bar. He looked around the room for Yeonjun, missing when he had bright pink hair and was ridiculously easy to spot. He couldn’t see him at the moment, but he didn’t panic, Hueningkai would have alerted him in a second if something was wrong. He ordered a scotch on the rocks and checked his phone. He didn’t have any important messages, so after his drink was ready, he decided he would go track down Yeonjun and see if they could ditch early.

“Soobin-ssi,” the bartender said. Soobin turned. The bartender had his drink, but he leaned in, a worried expression on his face. Soobin immediately was on high alert, tensing and moving his hand to his hidden gun in its holster. “Someone has been ordering Yeonjun-ssi drinks, a lot, you might check to see if he’s okay,” he informed. Soobin blinked, some of his tension leaving, but an anger replacing it. He bowed at the bartender, sliding him a tip as he took his drink. “Thank you,” he replied, picking up his glass and walking out into the crowd.

People moved aside easily, bowing as he passed, and he was glad nobody stopped him. He scanned the crowd as he looked for a midnight blue suit, and he relaxed when he saw Yeonjun standing off in a corner, talking to someone Soobin didn’t recognise. He was laughing, and leaning against a table casually. Soobin knew him well enough to know he was drunk though, his stance off by just the most minute details, and he narrowed his eyes as he approached. The boy Yeonjun was with looked to be about their age, maybe the kid of someone or a plus-one, Soobin had no idea, but he didn’t like not knowing.

“Hyung,” he said as he got close enough. Yeonjun spun, eyes widening as he held his arms open. “Soobin,” he said rather calmly. He always was a classy drunk. “Have you met Wooyoung? He’s a recruit from the Parks!” he introduced. Soobin pulled Yeonjun into his arms, staring at the boy. He looked a bit scared and bowed shakily. The Parks were a family allied to Soobin’s, the alliance having lasted for nearly a hundred years, and Soobin was close friends with their head—a man named Park Jimin who ruled with his own boyfriend by his side. That made him less apprehensive, but he was still suspicious about the drinks.

Yeonjun leaned into his side, holding on to Soobin’s arm. “Nice to meet you, Wooyoung-ssi,” Soobin said, bowing his own head. He looked at Yeonjun, before looking back at the boy. He ran a hand methodically through Yeonjun’s hair as he spoke. “How many drinks has Yeonjun-hyung had,” he asked simply. Wooyoung swallowed, thinking for a moment as Soobin kept running his fingers through Yeonjun’s hair. The elder relaxed at the gesture, leaning into the touch. He blinked slowly, the only indication that he wasn’t entirely there. “I think four, but he kept asking me to get him more, and I didn’t want to say no,” Wooyoung answered.

Soobin glanced at Yeonjun, who winked at him. Soobin looked back at Wooyoung. “I’m going to take him home, one of my associates will follow up with you. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Wooyoung-ssi,” he said, before dropping his hand from Yeonjun’s hair and turning them both.

Yeonjun exhaled, walking with Soobin. “I’m exhausted,” he said. Soobin rested a hand on the small of his back as he signalled to Beomgyu that they were leaving. “Let’s get you home, hyung,” he mumbled.

They made it to the side hallway when Yeonjun suddenly stopped, clutching his forehead. “Fuck, my head hurts,” he complained, squeezing his eyes shut. Soobin stopped, glancing at Beomgyu who had joined them at the door, before leaning down to examine Yeonjun. “It’s probably because you drank so much hyung, you know what alcohol does to you,” he gently scolded.

Yeonjun groaned, standing back up straight and turning into Soobin, resting his head on his collarbones. “Was laced, Soobinie,” he mumbled, words slurring together. If Beomgyu hadn’t reacted, Soobin would’ve thought he misheard. But he hadn’t, and his eyes widened as he immediately pulled Yeonjun against him with one arm and pulled out his gun with the other. “Get inside, shut it all down, I’ll get hyung to safety. You’re in charge, Beomgyu-ah,” he ordered, already looking around the hallway.

Beomgyu nodded, pulling out his phone and his gun as he dashed back into the ballroom. Soobin heard the sounds of his agents gearing up for lockdown, and it only took two seconds for Taehyun to appear, grabbing Soobin and pushing them down the hallway towards the car. Soobin scooped up Yeonjun, who was murmuring as he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness. Soobin didn’t allow himself to feel any fear as he focused on getting out. He wasn’t sure if they were actually under attack or if the Park recruit had been an external spy sent in from the government. But Soobin didn’t have time for those questions.

He got into the car as quickly as possible, careful not to hit Yeonjun’s head as he situated him in his lap and Taehyun started to drive. “Is he still breathing?” Taehyun asked as he expertly swerved in between traffic. Soobin looked at Yeonjun, who was still breathing, resting against him. “Yeah,” he replied, before directing his words to Yeonjun himself. “Hyung? How do you feel? Talk to me, baby,” he whispered.

Yeonjun hummed, curling into Soobin some more. “Just tired, I’m gonna sleep,” he muttered. Soobin’s head snapped up. “Is it okay for him to sleep?” he asked Taehyun. Taehyun met his eyes through the rear-view mirror, before nodding. “It was most likely a micro-dose in each drink, not enough to set off a chemical colour-change reaction, but if he had had even one more drink…,” he trailed off, and Soobin filled in the blanks. He held Yeonjun tighter and closed his eyes as soon as he felt his boyfriend’s breathing even out.

They made it home and Taehyun got them inside before shutting it all down, taking over the security as Soobin carried Yeonjun upstairs. It was moments like these he was so grateful he had worked so hard to secure a trustworthy infrastructure. He laid Yeonjun down on the bed, still not letting himself feel anything as he took the boy’s shoes off, carefully wiped his face clear of makeup, and removed his suit jacket.

When he was lying under the covers comfortably, Soobin knelt on the floor and just ran his fingers through Yeonjun’s hair. It was one of his favourite things to do, and as he admired the gentle calm of Yeonjun’s sleeping face, his heart clenched in his chest. He was so in love it physically hurt him, and he couldn’t explain it to anyone. He supposed Beomgyu and Taehyun understood, but he wasn’t even sure of that. He just didn’t think anyone else had ever felt this strongly about another person before.

His phone started ringing, and he answered quickly, standing up and going to his bathroom. He kept his door open so he could keep an eye on Yeonjun, even though he was as safe as he could ever be. “Speak,” he said into the receiver. Beomgyu gave him a complete run-down of what happened, and Soobin listened intently. The entire building went into lockdown easily, and Beomgyu was able to apprehend the Park recruit trying to make an escape. Park Jimin himself completed the execution, and agreed to meet with Soobin to allow him to conduct an investigation.

Soobin thanked Beomgyu and told him to send Kai over to act as an extra layer of protective detail until Soobin could speak with Jimin. Beomgyu acquiesced, and the two hung up. Soobin exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose and starting the shower.

Under the stream of water, he let himself feel, and his tears mixed with the hot water. He hated being vulnerable, so he only showed it where he had the most privacy. He felt the emotions, and then he locked them away, because he couldn’t waste time being weak.

When he was dressed in pajamas, he went out to his bed, crawling under the covers with Yeonjun. He had a text from Kai alerting him to his presence outside of their door, and Beomgyu had also arrived home safely. Comforted by all of his closest dongsaeng’s safety, he pulled Yeonjun into his arms. The boy was out like a light, not responding as Soobin settled him over his chest.

He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, focused on the feel of his heart beating against his chest, and closed his eyes. He had a busy day tomorrow, but all that mattered at the moment was that Yeonjun was going to be okay.


	2. 2

After the direct attempt on Yeonjun’s life, everything changed. Soobin did a complete audit of his entire infrastructure, finding no traitors among the organisation but finding several security lapses that he heavily scolded Beomgyu over. The threat of execution hung over his head as he fixed each lapse, and while it pained Soobin to do such a thing—especially having to endure Taehyun’s agony as he stood silently by—he knew it was necessary.

The mistakes were resolved, more people were reassigned, and after a month Soobin finally felt secure again. He had been in close contact with Park Jimin and his branch of the mafia, the two practically living at each other’s headquarters as Jimin did the same audit of his organisation to ensure no internal spies remained. Each upped their security to the highest measures, and Soobin had every single security measure in his house changed and updated. He even bought a new house in an undisclosed location should he need to escape with Yeonjun in the future.

He knew that Yeonjun wasn’t the true target, that the spy had gone after him in order to get to Soobin, and that kept Soobin up at night. The fact that he was the reason Yeonjun would be in constant danger for the rest of his life. He was the reason the boy risked death every time he went out alone. It tore Soobin up inside, and he didn’t know what to do about it.

The last thing he wanted was to separate from the elder, even if going their own ways seemed like the easiest solution. Even if they broke up, Yeonjun would always be connected to him. If rival gangs didn’t get a hold of him, the South Korean government would. The boy was trapped, and it was all Soobin’s fault. If he had just left well enough alone the first time he spotted Yeonjun, then he wouldn’t be in such a difficult position.

Yeonjun himself stayed hidden away for the duration of the audits and security improvements. He stayed at the house, accompanied by a small militia of armed guards, only able to speak to Soobin when he was home, and Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai. Soobin couldn’t imagine how the boy wasn’t going insane, but he always seemed in good spirits when Soobin came home in the evening and devoted all his attention to him.

But now, it was time for the two of them to make another public appearance. It was nothing grandiose, nothing too time-consuming or attention-grabbing. After many discussions with his team, Soobin determined the best thing would be a simple outing to a park. It was all planned in advance, with enough members present at the park to keep an eye on anything suspicious. A very public place was of lower risk than a private place. Too many witnesses made a murder very difficult.

If it were up to Soobin, he would either lock Yeonjun away forever or murder all his adversaries so that the boy could leave without worry for the rest of his life. But he would neither keep Yeonjun away—he was not his keeper—nor did he have the resources to simply eliminate all his enemies. This was the way things were, and he just hoped that his adversaries had learned their lesson and knew not to go after Yeonjun if they valued their lives.

The morning of their scheduled outing, Soobin woke up to Yeonjun cooking breakfast. He sat up blearily, rubbing his eyes and shaking his hair out. The sheets next to him were messy, and when he ran his fingers over them, they were still warm. Yeonjun couldn’t have been awake for long. Soobin swung his legs out and stood up, stretching a few times.

After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he walked out to the large kitchen. It was early, too early to think about work, and yet that’s where his mind kept drifting to as he went down the hallway. When he saw Yeonjun in the kitchen though, all thoughts of work—save for his boyfriend’s safety—faded to background noise. is His

His time with Yeonjun was more valuable than anything else.

The elder spun when he heard Soobin approach and gave him a beautiful smile. “Good morning, baby,” he greeted. Soobin blushed, going up and giving him a gentle hug. Yeonjun hummed, melting into the embrace. He nuzzled Soobin’s chest, before turning away and focusing on the breakfast he was preparing.

Soobin kissed his cheek before moving to the Keurig to make some coffee. As he placed his mug underneath the spout he looked over his shoulder. Yeonjun seemed so content, humming under his breath as he stirred up eggs.

He didn’t want to disrupt him, but he knew he had to.

“Hyung,” he began, slow. Yeonjun lifted his head, smiling at Soobin as he raised his brows. Soobin smiled back softly, moving away from the Keurig to rest his hand on Yeonjun’s shoulder. “We’re going to go out today, to the park,” he said. It was hard watching Yeonjun’s expression drop, the colour draining and his pupils dilating as he shook his head.

He lowered the spatula and grabbed Soobin’s shirt with both his hands. “I’m not r-ready,” he whispered. Soobin’s heart ached, but his resolve was unwavering. They needed to go out in public to both test their security measures and to send a message. To let any rival gangs know that Yeonjun was healthy and unharmed, and that due to the attempt on his life, Soobin’s gang had only strengthened, gotten deadlier.

Yeonjun looked at Soobin desperately, hands clenched around his shirt so tightly his knuckles were white. “Soobin, I can’t, please,” he whispered, even quieter. It made Soobin hate himself, made his blood run cold, but he only wrapped his arms around the elder and pulled him close. “You can, I know you can,” he replied. Yeonjun remained tense in his arms, his hands pressed between their bodies.

“I can’t keep you locked away forever, as much as I’d like to,” Soobin gently explained. “Nothing is going to happen to you, I’ll be with you the entire time.”

Yeonjun didn’t say anything back, but his hands had relaxed and he leaned further into Soobin’s hold. Soobin closed his own eyes, running a hand through his boyfriend’s hair. “If this is all too much, there’s always option B,” he whispered, the words burning his tongue as he said them. He didn’t enjoy bringing it up, and Yeonjun clearly did not enjoy hearing it.

He stiffened and pushed away from Soobin enough to look at him directly. “No,” he said firmly, a flash of anger in his eyes. Soobin sighed, hands running down the elder’s arms. “Hyung, you don’t have to live this life, you don’t have to be scared—.”

“I’m not scared,” Yeonjun interrupted, gaze hardened. Soobin closed his mouth, letting Yeonjun finish speaking. The boy pressed his lips into a tight line before stepping closer. “Okay, I am scared, but not of you, and not of this life. I know what I signed up for, and I haven’t regretted that decision once.” His eyes started to shine, and Soobin’s heart broke. He reached out and moved the two of them out of the kitchen and into the living room.

They sat down and Yeonjun grabbed Soobin’s hand in both of his, eyes wide. “I’m not leaving you. So please stop asking.” He took a shaky breath, and Soobin paled as he saw a tear drip down his cheek. He moved closer, cupping Yeonjun’s jaw. “Don’t cry, baby,” he breathed. Yeonjun blinked, before sniffling and looking down. “Just feel like you _want_ me to leave,” he murmured.

Soobin faltered. He didn’t want Yeonjun to leave him, but he had to admit that he did want him to leave Seoul. He wanted him to get away from this lifestyle, from constantly having to look over his shoulder, sleep with one eye open. He just didn’t deserve to be afraid for his life all the time.

“Oh my God,” Yeonjun whispered, paling and backing away, pulling his hands out of Soobin’s. “Y-you do. You want me to leave.”

The boy teared up, standing abruptly and going to their bedroom. Soobin’s eyes widened as he stood too, following Yeonjun. “Would it really be so bad? Getting away from all of this?” he asked, voice breaking. He was losing his grip on control, something that didn’t happen often.

His emotions were running high, though, and that made everything harder, especially control. Yeonjun spun, hands in fists and lips pressed tight. “Not if means I can’t be with you,” he spat. Soobin sighed, running a hand down his face. The selfish part of him wanted to just give in, drop the argument and move on. But he truly believed that Yeonjun was blinded by love, so much that he was willingly risking his life when he didn’t have to.

“Hyung—.”

“Do you love me?”

Soobin blinked fast, jaw dropping. Did Yeonjun really doubt his love for him? “Of course I love you, how could you even ask that?” he replied.

Tears fell down Yeonjun’s cheeks as he nodded, turning and going into the closet. He started throwing aside clothes, ravaging the dressers in search of something to wear. Soobin watched him for a moment, watched as he got more and more distressed. When he finally went up to him, hands settling on the elder’s waist, Yeonjun flinched.

Just another confirmation of the fear that was settling into his bones.

Yeonjun didn’t move away, only deflated, slouching over to rest his forehead on the dresser. His shoulders shook with the shaky breaths he took, and Soobin moved closer, sliding his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. He pressed his cheek into the juncture between Yeonjun’s shoulder and neck, and closed his eyes.

“Do you really think I don’t love you?” he whispered.

There was a beat of silence, and then Yeonjun sighed, sinking back into Soobin’s arms. “I know you love me,” he replied softly. “Which is why I know that you’ll respect my decision to stay.” He rotated then, looking at Soobin in a way that Soobin had never seen before.

His gaze was so serious, unwavering, and it made Soobin realise that it was never him who held the deciding power in this relationship. Yeonjun was not one of his subordinates, he was his boyfriend. One day, he could be his husband. He was his own person, and his expression reflected just that, as did his words.

“I love you, Soobin,” Yeonjun said. He lifted his hands to cup Soobin’s cheeks. “Like I said, I know what I signed up for. I’m not leaving you.” He searched Soobin’s eyes then, looking for any hesitation, but he would find none. Soobin was resolved. He nodded, fingers tightening over Yeonjun’s hips.

The elder waited another moment, before leaning forward and connecting their lips. Soobin didn’t get a chance to kiss back before Yeonjun pulled away and turned around. “Now, help me pick something to wear for the park.”

Taehyun stood in the northeast corner, and Beomgyu headed up the southeast corner. More associates were stationed around the perimeter of the park, looking like unsuspecting park-goers and picnickers.

Hueningkai was the closest, sitting on the bench next to where Yeonjun had laid out a red and white checked blanket. His perfectly packed picnic basket sat on top of it, and Yeonjun slipped on sunglasses to shield his eyes from the bright sunshine. Soobin sat next to him, trying his best not to look at his security measures too much.

“Baby,” Yeonjun said. Soobin blinked, head snapping immediately to look at his boyfriend. Yeonjun only smiled a bit, and then reached into the picnic basket, pulling out two rolls of gimbap. He handed one to Soobin, before moving closer and unwrapping his own. Soobin smiled, dropping a kiss to the elder’s cheek before he unwrapped his gimbap.

He took a bite, and the two managed light conversation as they ate. Yeonjun had packed both of their favourites, so by the time they were finished, Soobin’s stomach was full and he was starting to get sleepy. He still stayed on high alert though, glancing at his associates often, all of them giving him the signal that nothing was out of the ordinary. It didn’t ease him much, but he would never fully be at ease. That was just his life.

After Yeonjun finished, he laid out on the blanket, closing his eyes behind his sunglasses as he turned his face towards the sun. Soobin smiled, leaning over to place all their trash in the basket and move it out of the way. He checked with his associates again, and Beomgyu gave him a nod, and a soft smile.

It was a relief that their new security measures were effective, but Soobin would never let himself fully relax. Yeonjun was the most important person in his life, and no security measure would ever truly be enough.

“ _Baby_ ,” Yeonjun said, not moving from where he was. Soobin looked down, reaching forward and brushing his fingers over Yeonjun’s cheek. “Hmm?” he replied. Yeonjun sat up a bit, lifting his shades. “I can hear you thinking. Lie down next to me and let your associates do their jobs,” he said.

Soobin bit his lip, before Yeonjun reached out and yanked on Soobin’s arm, causing him to fall onto his side next to him. “Lie with me, Soobin,” he repeated, softer.

And because Soobin was weak for Yeonjun, he did as he was told and lied down. He closed his eyes lifted his chin to the sun and forced himself to relax.

Yeonjun slipped his fingers between Soobin’s and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Soobin may have been the head of one of the largest gangs in the Korean mafia, but he was nothing without Yeonjun. And that was something he was learning to never forget.


End file.
